South Fayette eyes more development

By Deana Carpenter

For The Almanac

writer@thealmanac.net

More development could be on the way in South Fayette Township. A proposed three-building shopping center at the former Ionics property off of Washington Pike was reviewed by commissioners at the boards March 13 workshop meeting.

Township engineer Michael Benton said the planned shopping center, called The Crossings of South Fayette, would consist of three buildings – the front building would be a bank and/or restaurant, the second building a grocery store and the third building would house multiple tenants.

The board reviewed three conditional use applications for the shopping center – one for each lot as well as preliminary and final site plans for each lot.

Developer Dale Greco of Bridgeville Realty Partners, LLC and Tysen Miller of GAI Consultants presented the plans to commissioners. Miller said the plan is to consolidate the existing properties, including the gas station and former Ionics site. The developers are also talking with McDonald’s about a possible connection with the property.

So far, an Aldi food store is confirmed for the property. Christina Morascyzk of Aldi foods explained that the store would offer private label food items as it does in there nearly 50 regional stores. The store would be similar to the Aldi store located in Baldwin Township.

Greco added that folks will “be pleased with the offerings” of the other stores that will be at the new site, although he did not disclose any possible tenants. There will be consistency in the look of each of the buildings in the new shopping center and Greco said the start of construction on the Crossings of South Fayette is contingent on approvals from the township and PennDOT. He said under the “best case scenario,” construction could begin as early as this November or as late as next spring.

Final plans for the first phase of Walnut Ridge, a residential development, were also discussed at the meeting. Pat Cooper of Gateway Engineering said the first phase of the development will include 33 of the nearly 90 lots and that the developer would like to break ground on the first phase in May. Walnut Ridge will be a 110-acre development set to be located off of Battle Ridge Road, with homes ranging in price from $400,000 to $450,000.

The township’s real estate taxation millage rate was also discussed at the March 13 meeting. Solicitor Jonathan Kamin recommended the board approve a millage rate of 3.48 mills, which he said is nearly revenue neutral. The current millage in South Fayette is 3.84, but has to be adjusted this year due to the county-wide reassessment. Commissioners should be ready to vote on the millage rate at the board’s March 27 meeting.

In other business:

• South Fayette’s annual Easter Egg Hunt will be held March 23 at the high school. The day starts at 9 a.m. with Breakfast with the Easter Bunny and the hunt will begin at 11 a.m. Children should bring a basket or bag to collect eggs.

• South Fayette’s clean-up day will be held April 19, said Township Manager Ryan Eggleston. The township is looking to “beef up interaction with the school” on that day and also is looking at working with businesses on Millers Run Road for the clean-up day.

• Eggleston said the library is asking the township for an additional $5,000 on top of its regular monetary commitment to allow for the installation of a fiber line in the library. Currently, the library operates on DSL Internet. With the $5,000, the library would be able to pay for a $66,000 fiber line that could eventually be used by the township building as well.

• The board’s voting meeting will be held at 8 p.m. March 27. The meeting has been changed from the regular date because Eggleston will be out of town.